Country Chef Reader

Individual "Surprise"
Parmesan Meatloaves
“So, what time’s dinner?” asked the clerk at Petrich’s Market as she tallied up the items in our grocery cart. “Maggie” was boldly stamped on her black plastic nametag, she wore an eager smile. “It looks like you’re having meatloaf for dinner. It’s one of my favorites - what folks nowadays call “comfort food.” Maggie said, as she handed my husband, Ed, his change.

It was early fall in rural Bovey, Minnesota, population 716 (pictured top right). We were visiting Ed’s mother, Ruthie, who was turning 89-years old. During a seasonal downpour we started reminiscing about comfort food and less complicated times when families sat around the dinner table to eat home cooked meals. Before we knew it Ed and I were in the car headed for the local grocery to buy the ingredients for a meatloaf dinner.

Bovey is a small out-of-the-way berg just south of the Canadian border. It’s a cozy place with roads winding past quaint family farms, where fields are dotted with huge rolls of hay and pastures are lush with grass and hardy livestock. It seemed a quirk of fate that we’d meet Maggie who worked in a country store and waxed the sentiment of everyday meatloaf.

Why had we encountered Maggie? Perhaps to reconnect with our pasts, to once again feel the warmth and presence of loved ones. Maybe, in a small way, to count our blessings and to appreciate those who are presently a part of our lives? Or, simply happenstance that doesn’t have a deep-seeded meaning; we just met a lady who shared a common love of comfort foods.

“When I was a kid my mother made meatloaf on rainy days, and she made macaroni and tomatoes whenever she was late getting home from Bridge Club. Meatloaf reminds me of the security of my childhood.” Maggie crossed her arms and leaned thoughtfully against the cash register.

“Oh, yes, a thunder storm always puts me in the mood for a home cooked meal,” I responded. Ed and I smiled at each other enjoying the easy patter with Maggie.

“Enjoy your supper. I hope you get home safely before the next storm.” Maggie’s voice was now soft. As she turned away from us I could see the lines in her face had noticeably softened. Her eyes were as misty as the green pasture that surrounded the rural market.

The sky had cleared, at least for the time being, so we took a different route back home to capture glimpses of the countryside on film. “Snap, whirr!” My mind continued to click along with my camera. I wondered, does meatloaf or macaroni and tomatoes really taste so delicious to Maggie, or is it the memories she savors?

“Gosh, do you think we should have purchased another pound of ground round and more potatoes just in case Maggie shows up at Mom’s door at dinnertime?” Ed asked laughing.

“Fortunately meatloaf is the number one stretchable dinner.” I said. “Did your Mom make meatloaf when you were a kid?” I asked.

“You bet she did, my brother and I loved it. I get hungry just thinking about it!” He pulled to a stop and was determining which direction would get us home. “What about your family?” He asked.

“When I was a youngster my mother made what she called Surprise Meatloaf. Mom was always trying to disguise thriftier ground meat dishes because my dad was a steak and potatoes kind of guy.” I mused. “It’s uncanny how Mom was able to juggle meatloaf recipes to continually please my dad and coordinate meatloaf meals with rainy days.” I said longing for the good old days when families shared in the joy of home cooked meals and events of the day.

My mood became wistful as I recalled my mother’s meatloaf wizardry, Maggie’s childhood connection with meatloaf and envisioning Ed drowning his mother’s savory meatloaf in catsup. I recalled, too, the time my 6-year old grandson told his mom that he wanted to go to Grandma Cindy’s house to eat some “real food” referring to a meatloaf dinner I served when he was spending the night.

At dinner that evening my spirits lifted and everything seemed to come together when Ruthie’s blue eyes sparkled and she said, “Meatloaf with roasted potatoes is what I call real comfort food, exactly like I once made for the boys on rainy days!”

“Surprise” Parmesan Meatloaf
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup soft bread cubes
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup dry onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 heaping teaspoon oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup thick barbecue sauce

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine all ingredients except barbecue sauce; mix lightly. Fold into a greased 5” x 9” x 3” loaf pan. Gently press to remove large bubbles. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove excess grease that might accumulate. Spread with half the barbecue sauce and bake 15 minutes; spread with remaining barbecue sauce, bake another 15 minutes. Serve sprinkled with additional Parmesan cheese and barbecue sauce on the side. Yield: 6 servings

Note: To make individual meatloaves (as pictured), grease a 12-muffin tin. Use the same oven temperature and same assembly process; fold meat mixture into pan. Bake for 30 minutes, add barbecue sauce and bake for another 15 minutes. Yield: 2 individual meatloaves per serving

Roasted Garlic Potatoes
5 medium baking potatoes cut in half-length wise, score on cut surface
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Dash of salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix melted butter, garlic powder, paprika and salt together. Pour into a 13” x 9” x 2” (or larger) baking pan. For uniform crispness coat the entire bottom of the pan with the melted butter. Place potatoes in the pan, scored surface in the butter. Bake, uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until scored side is crispy and brown.
Yield: 6 servings

Check out Pork Chops & Applesauce, which is loaded with more comfort food recipes and feel good stories. And Sweet Apple Temptations that offers over 200 delicious and varied apple dessert recipes...just in time for apple season.
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Bonus recipes for tailgate season, oops that's football season!

Viva! Taco Roll-ups
Viva! Taco Roll-ups are a spicy and satisfying appetizer. Whether you’re hosting at home or tailgating, these tangy roll-ups are fast and easy to prepare, plus they travel well. With a flour tortilla wrapped around hot and creamy centers, you’ll have guests coming back for “Oh, just one more.”


Viva! Taco Roll-ups
2 – 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup medium picante sauce
1 – 4.5 ounce can chopped olives
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
1 tablespoon dry onion soup mix
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/8 to 1/4 cup jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
8-10 small or 6 large flour tortillas OR thinly sliced ham
Fresh parsley
Picante sauce

Combine first 8 ingredients in a food processor. Spread mixture onto tortillas or sliced ham; roll; wrap firmly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Remove plastic wrap from rolls; slice into 1” to 1 1/4” individual servings, discarding ends (Here’s a perfect opportunity to taste test what you’ll be serving!). Place small sprigs of parsley in the center of each roll-up for garnish. Serve with extra picante sauce on the side. Yield: Approximately 35 roll-ups
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Tailgate Teriyaki
Chicken Drumettes
Teriyaki Chicken Drumettes
3-4 pounds chicken drumettes, rinsed and patted dry
Garlic powder (not garlic salt)
1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 cup Light Soy Sauce
1 1/2 cups sugar OR 3/4 cup sugar and 3/4 cup Splenda®
1/4 cup water
Toasted sesame seeds
King-size napkins

Preheat oven to 250°. Cover a large baking sheet, such as a jelly roll pan, with heavy duty aluminum foil. Arrange chicken drumettes in one layer with skin side up; sprinkle generously with garlic powder; set aside.

In a medium size bowl, combine ginger, soy sauce, sugar and water (a bowl with a pouring spout works well); stir until sugar begins to dissolve. Pour soy sauce mixture over chicken drumettes
trying to coat chicken as much as possible.

Bake for 6-50-60 minutes, uncovered; turn drumettes and bake for another 30-40 minutes. Turn drumettes one more time. The teriyaki sauce will begin to thicken at this point. Continue baking and turning every 5-10 minutes until sauce reaches a molasses-like consistency and is sticking nicely to drumettes. Total baking time should be approximately 2-3 hours.

Remove drumettes and sauce to a crock pot or chafing dish to keep warm (do not cook); garnish with sesame seeds. You can be sure these saucy drumettes will be a big hit at your next gathering whether they're served from a buffet table or at the tailgate. Serve with king-size napkins. Yield: Approximately 12 appetizers/5 drumettes each.

Note: These drumettes make an excellent entree when served with rice and a green vegetable. Yield: 4-5 servings
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The best time for planning a book is while you're doing the dishes. ~Agatha Christie
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Labels: appetizers, chicken rice, chicken wings, comfort food, home cooked, meatloaf, potatoes, roasted potatoes, roll-ups, tailgate food, teriyaki chicken wings, wings

Suzanne Creech's memory recipe book is a delicious collection of food and love.

“This Streetwalker’s Stew recipe is what inspired me to create a memory recipe book,” Suzanne Creech said as she gently ran her hand across the page. “A friend gave me the recipe when he first discovered the art of cooking. He took delight in exercising his new-found culinary creativity by giving a basic stew recipe a more colorful name.” She laughed heartily. “It was fun watching a young person get excited about cooking.”

Suzanne explained more to me about her hand-made recipe book over fresh-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookies and rich black coffee at her home in Roswell, New Mexico. “My recipes have become a part of me, so preserving the recipe in its original format is like protecting the relationship with a person that I hold dear, it’s part of the bond I share with that person, along with the story behind the recipe!”

Suzanne refilled my coffee cup and we continued our leisurely tour through her recipe collection that spans 30+ years. “Many of my recipes are very special to me because they’re hand written, perhaps were given to me to make for a memorable occasion, or exchanged under comical circumstances.” She paused and said, “every time I prepare a recipe that someone has given me, I take a mini-journey to visit either my sister, or my aunt, or whoever gave me the recipe. With my memory recipe book, I will continue making those trips and visits, but in a more organized way.

“I began my recipe book by first gathering up my disheveled, menagerie of recipes. Then, I placed them in one big pile next to a box of sheet protectors. My husband, Loran, volunteered to create a cover, which he did and appropriately titled it, ‘Suzie’s Red Hot Recipes’ with a ristra painted in watercolor. Didn’t he do a terrific job?” She closed the book long enough to show off her hubby’s fine artwork. “Then, my extended ‘vacation’ down a very long Memory Lane began.” She sighed and smiled proudly recalling her labor of love project.

From my perspective, Suzanne’s memory recipe book is a culinary tribute to her life-in-the-kitchen. It beautifully commemorates her mother, her sister, cousins, aunts, and friends, each one sharing a tasty sample of their cooking expertise and creativity with her. This is the reason the book far surpasses being a recipe collection. The personal treasury with hand-written embellishments, such as, “Best Wishes or “Good Luck” jotted in the margins, along with individual ingredient changes and serving suggestions, sometimes elegantly noted, other times clumsily annotated depending on the author’s style, maps the story of Suzanne’s life.

“Each time I make a recipe that’s written on personalized stationary, scrawled on the back of a crinkled deposit slip, scribbled on a dusty envelope or type-written on a recipe card, I remember the person who gave it to me.” Suzanne thumbed through the colorful, diverse book, pausing thoughtfully at several of the pages.

“See this little piece of folded pink paper,” she held up what looked like a miniature origami. “I didn’t know how to fold a burrito, so my friend, Sue Anne, in Missouri made me this tiny, paper burrito to demonstrate how to fold a burrito. I’ll never part with this ‘burrito’ as it symbolizes the caring connection I have with Sue Anne. It’s the story behind the recipe!”

“Look, here’s the recipe I’d like to share with your readers. I call it Lorelei’s Chicken Rice Salad. My husband and I never get enough of it. It’s a unique combination of Italian seasoning and rice with crunchy pieces of almond and celery creates the kind of salad that we find hard to stop eating once we start.

“The remarks that are scrawled all over the recipe show several of the roads it’s traveled. What’s funny; is that Lorelei made her changes to the recipe before she faxed it to me and two people previous to Lorelei crossed ingredients off and wrote their opinions and suggestions in the margins!”

I was amused at Suzanne’s animation as she recounted the roundabout route the recipe took before it found a home with her. “I can’t help but wonder from where this recipe originated and how many stops it made that aren’t noted!”

Suzanne chuckled playfully, “It appears this recipe’s road trip hasn’t come to a dead end yet and I’m really glad it, along with many others, took up residence in my memory recipe book!”

Lorelei’s Chicken Rice Salad
2-6 ounce long & wild rice package mixes (discard seasoning packets)
1 package (dry) Italian salad dressing mix
1 cup artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
2 cups celery, chopped
1 cup red or green pepper, chopped (optional)
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup almonds, slivered and toasted
1 small jar pimentos, drained (optional)
1 small can black olives, drained and sliced (optional)
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Using 1/2 cup less water for each package, cook rice as directed (do not use seasoning packets). Mix Italian dressing according to package directions. Marinate artichokes, celery, green peppers, and mushrooms in prepared Italian dressing overnight. The next day combine rice, chicken, mayonnaise, parsley, almonds, pimentos and olives to marinated mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill and serve on bed of lettuce, if desired. Yield: 8 Servings
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For more nostalgic stories that'll make you smile and traditional comfort food recipes, check out Pork Chops & Applesauce by Cynthia Briggs'. Both Pork Chops and Sweet Apple Temptations are the perfect gift for all seasons, especially "family reunion" season. Order now!
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Bonus recipe: Summer appetizer that's cool and fresh.

Crab or Shrimp and Avocado Cucumber Rounds
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons wasabi powder or wasabi paste
1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce
1/2 large seedless cucumber, un-peeled and cut into 24 1/4” thick slices
1/2 medium avocado, quartered and cut into 24 slices
1/4 pound crab or imitation crab meat or 24 cooked shrimp (peeled and de-veined), make 24 small mounds of crab meat or cut imitation crab or shrimp into 24 pieces to fit on cucumber slices
2 tablespoons red radish, finely chopped
24 small fresh mint leaves
To make wasabi mayonnaise: whisk together mayonnaise, wasabi powder and soy sauce in a small bowl until smooth; set aside.

Assemble Cucumber Rounds by placing cucumber slices on a large platter. Spread each cucumber slice with 1 teaspoon (or less) wasabi mayonnaise. Place slice of avocado on top, add a mound of crab meat, sprinkle with radish and top with mint leaf. Serve immediately.
Yields: 12 servings, 2 per serving

Bonus recipe: Summer dessert, light and refreshing treat.

Pineapple Cloud Delight
1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple in own juice, undrained
1 pkg. (1 oz.) vanilla flavor regular or fat free/sugar-free instant pudding mix
1 cup non-diary whipped topping, thawed
1 pkg. (10 oz.) round angel food cake, regular or sugar-free, cut twice horizontally through the center to create 3 layers
10 large fresh strawberries, cut into halves and sweeten slightly

Combine pineapple and dry pudding mix. Gently fold in non-dairy topping. Stack cake layers onto place, spreading pudding mixture between layers and top of cake. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour; cut and serve each piece with additional non-dairy topping and garnish with strawberries. Yield: 8 to 10 servings

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"It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you." ~Author unknown, sometimes attributed to M. Grundler

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Labels: bonus recipe, chicken rice, chicken rice salad, hearty stew, memory, memory book, pinapple, pineapple dessert, summer